Motor Drive Interface Plate Alignment and Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional interfaces between power-producing devices and power-transferring devices in vehicles face misalignment issues due to increased tolerance with multiple housings, require complex machining, and often use external lines that can leak, leading to reduced performance and increased maintenance.
Innovation Solution
An interface featuring a plate with an outer diameter that contacts a spindle's inner diameter, incorporating fluid passages to eliminate external lines and simplify machining, with a seal positioned in a groove to ensure alignment and sealing between housings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple housings are used to form an interface between power-producing device and power-transferring device, then the interface can accommodate more components, but the tolerance between devices increases causing misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
A rigid interface plate is introduced as an intermediary component between the motor housing and drive assembly. This plate serves as a mediator that maintains precise alignment between the motor output shaft and drive input shaft, preventing tolerance accumulation that would occur with multiple separate housings.
Solution Approach 2:
The interface plate integrates multiple functions into a single component: it provides structural support, ensures precise alignment, and creates sealed interfaces. By combining these functions that would otherwise require separate housings into one rigid plate, the design eliminates tolerance accumulation while maintaining adaptability.
2Quantity of substance
If external lines are used to supply and transfer fluid between devices, then fluid can be delivered, but leaks can occur reducing fluid flow rate and performance
Solution Approach 1:
Fluid passages are integrated directly into the interface plate, merging the fluid transport function with the structural interface component. This eliminates external fluid lines and their associated leak points, ensuring reliable fluid sealing while maintaining adequate flow rates between the motor housing and drive assembly.
3Reliability
If seals are used to prevent fluid leakage between housings, then fluid sealing is achieved, but complex machining is required to create recesses for seals
Solution Approach 1:
Sealing surfaces are created through localized machining features directly on the interface plate where needed, rather than requiring complex recesses throughout the housing. This local quality approach achieves effective sealing with minimal, simplified machining operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing function is integrated into the interface plate design itself, combining the structural support and sealing functions in one component. This eliminates the need for separate seal recesses in multiple housings, reducing overall machining complexity while maintaining reliable fluid sealing.
4Reliability
If recesses are machined into housing surfaces to accommodate seals, then sealing is achieved, but manufacturing cost and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The interface plate integrates sealing surfaces directly into its design, combining the structural interface and sealing functions in one component. This eliminates the need for separate seal recesses in multiple housings, reducing manufacturing steps, time, and cost while maintaining reliable seal integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides an interface for aligning a power-producing device and a power-transferring device in a vehicle. The interface includes an axle tube housing and a flange integrally coupled at one end of the axle tube housing. The flange has a rear surface. The interface also includes a motor housing and a drive housing. The motor housing is configured to contain the power-producing device and the drive housing is configured to contain the power-transferring device. A plate is removably coupled to one end of the motor housing. The plate is coupled to the axle tube housing and has an outer diameter. The interface further includes a spindle coupled to the drive housing. The spindle has a front surface and an inner diameter. The outer diameter of the plate contacts the inner diameter of the spindle when the spindle is coupled to the flange.